Preps Plus. BASKETBALL ROUNDUP.

`Average' Pondexter Leads Marshall

It was an average performance by Cappie Pondexter's own assessment: 29 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Not bad considering the Marshall guard dislocated her left shoulder less than three minutes into the No. 2 Lady Commandos' 60-44 victory over visiting Proviso West in the Marshall round-robin tournament Thursday.

"I can't use [the injury] as an excuse," said the 5-foot-9-inch Rutgers-bound senior. "The team needed me. It was an average game. I thought I could've done better."

Proviso West (6-2) might beg to differ. Pondexter, who made 12 of her 20 attempts from the field, ended the first, second and third quarters with a basket. And when the Lady Panthers cut the lead to single digits midway through the third quarter, Pondexter responded by scoring eight straight points to give the Commandos (4-0) a 51-34 advantage after the third quarter.

Pondexter opened the game by scoring six of Marshall's first seven points, but with 5 minutes 32 seconds remaining in the first quarter she left the game after attempting an across-the-body left-handed layup. She re-entered the game with her team leading 13-10 with 2:06 left in the quarter and promptly made one of two free throws and capped the quarter with a drive at the buzzer, giving Marshall a 20-10 advantage.

Tiffany Sardin contributed 15 points, six rebounds and five steals for Marshall, which led 37-18 at halftime.

Proviso West was led by Ashley Owens' 15 points. Khara Smith, the Lady Panthers' center who was coming off a 36-point performance Wednesday, was in foul trouble most of the game and finished with nine points.

In a battle of two of the top centers in the Public League, Scott got the best of Manley's Monique Lloyd, who scored eight points and nine rebounds despite being hobbled by an ankle injury she sustained in the second quarter. Manley (3-4), which turned the ball over 27 times, was led by Sophia Harris' 18 points.

Benet 58, Marian Catholic 44: Jordan Wilson scored 18 points as the No. 10 Redwings (6-1, 1-0) won in the East Suburban Catholic. Wilson scored eight points in the first quarter as Benet jumped out to an 18-9 lead. Jana Panici had 15 points to lead No. 19 Marian.

Rich South 58, Bradley-Bourbonnais 26: Rachel Reed scored 26 points to lead the No. 20 Stars in the SICA South.

Stagg 39, Sandburg 33: Heather King's 11 points and four steals led Stagg (7-0, 1-0) past No. 18 Sandburg (4-3, 0-1) in the SICA West opener. Sandburg--which received a team-high 11 points from Erika Nelson--led 30-29 with 2:04 remaining, but was outscored 10-3 to close the game.

Stagg coach Sharon Ostema, a 1989 Sandburg graduate, coached her first game against her former school. "I knew coming in what this rivalry was all about," Ostema said. "I'm at Stagg now, and that's where my heart is."

Stagg, which forced Sandburg into 25 turnovers, sealed the game at the free-throw line. Lindsay Hushka was 4-of-4 in the final 30 seconds, finishing with six points, while Liz Ames (eight points) also was 4-of-4 in the fourth quarter.

Clemente led 54-52 with two seconds remaining in regulation, but received a technical foul for calling a timeout when none were left. Von Steuben's Johnson followed with a pair of free throws to force overtime.